Continued from: Ghana at a Governance Crossroads (Part 1)
Ghana’s Fourth Republic has provided stability and regular, peaceful transitions of power. However, the underlying constitutional framework concentrates substantial authority in the Executive, where the President serves as Head of State, Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief.
Parliament, although endowed with significant legislative responsibilities, often operates under the shadow of the Executive due to ministerial appointments from the House, strong party discipline and political patronage. Decentralization remains limited, with local governments dependent on central transfers, and traditional authorities, though culturally influential have no institutionalized role in national governance. These structural weaknesses have contributed to policy discontinuity, excessive polarization and limited responsiveness to regional needs, creating an urgent call for reform.
Insights from the American Experience
The United States offers an instructive model built upon a rigorous separation of powers. The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary operate as co-equal branches designed to check one another’s excesses. Federalism empowers fifty states to craft tailored policies, enabling diversity of approach in taxation, education, policing and social welfare. Judicial independence is robust and institutional checks are deeply embedded.
Yet the strengths of this model come with clear drawbacks. Separate elections for President and Congress frequently produce institutional gridlock, slowing essential legislation and budgetary decisions. Policy continuity is often elusive, shifting dramatically with each administration. Partisan polarisation has intensified and the model offers no room for traditional or indigenous authorities within state structures. While valuable lessons exist, particularly in judicial independence and decentralization, the rigidity of this presidential system and its susceptibility to deadlock make it ill-suited for Ghana’s political and cultural landscape.
Lessons from the English (UK) Parliamentary Tradition
The English model illustrates the benefits of a parliamentary democracy anchored by a ceremonial monarch. Real political authority resides in Parliament, especially the elected House of Commons. The Prime Minister leads the government but remains continuously accountable to Parliament through questioning, debates and the risk of a confidence vote. Accountability, therefore, is not periodic but constant.
The United Kingdom also demonstrates how a unitary state can manage regional diversity through devolution. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exercise meaningful autonomy in critical policy areas. A politically neutral civil service ensures continuity across administrations, protecting institutional memory and administrative stability.
However, the system is not without challenges. Majority governments can become excessively dominant, the first-past-the-post electoral system often distorts representation and regional tensions periodically resurface. Nevertheless, the core principles of daily accountability, separation of ceremonial and executive roles and regional empowerment hold valuable lessons for Ghana.
Canadian Adaptation: Inclusiveness, Federal Balance and Indigenous Participation
Canada’s system blends Westminster traditions with the demands of a vast, multicultural federation. A ceremonial Head of State coexists with a Prime Minister accountable to an elected House of Commons. Federalism grants provinces broad autonomy over natural resources, health, education and local governance. Indigenous peoples, the First Nations, Inuit and Métis exercise varying degrees of self-government and co-management, ensuring constitutional recognition of traditional authority.
Parliamentary committees exert strong oversight over government programmes and expenditures, enhancing transparency. Despite challenges around party discipline, regional tensions and debates over Senate reform, Canada’s model demonstrates how diversity can be accommodated within a unified state. The inclusive treatment of traditional institutions and strong parliamentary oversight mechanisms provide especially relevant lessons for Ghana’s evolving governance landscape.
Governance Discipline from China: Planning, Execution and Continuity
China operates within a one-party system led by the Communist Party, where real political authority resides within Party organs rather than within state institutions. While not democratic, China’s system provides powerful insights into long-term national planning, disciplined execution and administrative coordination. Five-Year Plans and other national strategies are implemented with remarkable consistency and a performance-driven bureaucracy prioritizes competence.
However, these strengths come at the cost of restricted political freedoms, limited media independence and constrained judicial autonomy. For Ghana, the Chinese model cannot serve as a constitutional blueprint, yet it underscores the importance of establishing long-term development planning institutions insulated from partisan cycles and fostering a merit-based, performance-oriented public service.
Comparative Lessons for Ghana
Viewed collectively, these systems offer Ghana a rich tapestry of insights. The American emphasis on judicial independence and robust checks provides tools for limiting executive overreach. The English and Canadian parliamentary traditions demonstrate the value of continuous accountability, professional civil services and mechanisms that empower diverse regions. China highlights the necessity of long-term planning, disciplined implementation and administrative competence adapted within a democratic framework.
Ghana’s unitary structure can be maintained but decentralization must become meaningful. Regional empowerment, greater fiscal autonomy for local authorities and an institutional voice for traditional leaders are necessary to reflect Ghana’s social realities. Electoral reform is equally critical; first-past-the-post amplifies polarisation and constrains representation. A mixed electoral system would help moderate competition and promote broader national consensus. Most importantly, policy continuity must be institutionalized through a strengthened, independent National Development Planning Authority capable of designing 20–50-year long-term strategies that survive political transitions.
The Hybrid Parliamentary Model: A Ghanaian Solution
Synthesizing global insights and Ghana’s own historical experience leads to a coherent and context-appropriate reform vision. A hybrid parliamentary model would preserve the strengths of presidential democracy while harnessing the accountability and inclusiveness of parliamentary governance. Under this architecture, a ceremonial President would symbolise national unity and constitutional stability, while executive authority would rest with a Prime Minister drawn from Parliament and subject to daily scrutiny.
A bicameral legislature would enhance representation, with an upper chamber comprised of regional and traditional leaders to reflect Ghana’s cultural and territorial diversity. Local governance would gain new vitality through elected regional executives, clearer mandates and fiscal decentralisation. A reformed electoral system would encourage coalition-building and policy moderation, reversing the high-stakes polarisation of winner-takes-all politics. Above all, an independent National Development Planning Authority would ensure continuity, discipline and national purpose across generations.
A Path Towards a More Balanced and Inclusive Ghana
A reimagined governance architecture offers Ghana the opportunity to escape the cyclical challenges of its current system. By combining American institutional checks, English and Canadian accountability traditions, Chinese planning discipline and Ghana’s own cultural heritage, a uniquely Ghanaian democratic model can emerge. This hybrid parliamentary system promises a future in which national development is sustained, accountability is constant, regions are empowered and traditional leaders are respected as integral components of governance.
As Ghana contemplates its next chapter, the task is not merely to imitate foreign systems but to weave their most effective elements into a governance framework that resonates with Ghanaian values, history and aspirations. Through national dialogue and collective will, this model can guide Ghana toward a more stable, inclusive and development-focused future.
